Water wheel



2 SHEETS-SHEET E. (JSWALD WATER WHEEL. man sun; s. |921.

D. L A W S 0 rr..

Mar. 6, 1923.

WATER WHEEL.

l ,c a 3 v- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FILED JUNE 8| i921.

30 .y possible resistancel to the `rotation of the i fuNiTEnjsrarss earner forties.

-' citizen of theUnited Patented Mar. 6, 1923.

EDWARD OSWALD, 0F SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

WATER WHEEL.

Application filed .Tune 8, 1921. Serial No. 475,975.

To all Iwhom, t may concern: w iBe it known that I, EDWARD OswALD, a States, residing at Syracuse, yin the county of Onondagaand` State of New York, have invented certain new and useful :Improvements in Nat-er lVheels, 0f which the following is a specification. L .i

This invention relates to improvements in water wheels of the current motor type,

, and has for its object to provide a novel,

simple and powerful-device of the class which consists of a disk-shaped wheel arranged to operate. in a vertical plane, and which may be wholly -or partially vsubmerged in a river or other running stream by the current of which it is operated. A further object is to provide a'plurality of equidistantly spaced hinged-blades, which are disposed in corresponding annular rows around the opposite faces of the wheel adjacent the periphery thereof, the said blades being pivoted in such manner that a portion ofthem present relatively broad-blade surfaces-extending at right angles' across the course `of the flowing stream, while the remaining blades, particularly'those at the top end' and,` at the opposite `or down-stream edge ofthe wheel, are closely' folded against the faces of the wheel, so as to offer the least wheel. A further object is to provide means for gearing the wheel to a power transmission shaft.l And a` further object is to pro- ,vide means for automatically and successivelyk extending and folding the blades.`

The various features and parts of the inventionv will be understood from the detailed descriptionwhich follows and by reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevationy of the complete wheel; showing the manner of folding and-extending the blades. Fig. 2 is a topplan view of the same, with the lgears omitted.- Fig. 3' is a front end elevation of the wheel. .Figs. 4 yand 5 are respectively a broken section and a broken elevation of a` modified structure. -And Figs. 6 and 7 are `respectively a face and an 'end view of one the blades. a

In the drawing, 2 represents the frame which supports the power generating'mechan1sm,fand comprises an open rectangular base 2, from the side rails of rwhichrise angular brackets 2, each of which is provided with shaft bearings 2b, in which the main wheel-shaft 3 is journalled. 3 repre sents the current driven wheel, which is preferably al plain disk of any suitable material, which is mounted concentrically and rigidly-on the shaft, and is rotatablein the clear space between the brackets 2a. In practice my power apparatus may be partially submerged in the running water of a river or other stream, as indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 1, or the device may be entirely submerged in `the: stream (not shown). The wheel 3 is operated by the current, which in the present case ilo-ws from left'to right, as indicated by the horizontal arrow in Fig. l, and fou this purpose the opposite sides of the wheel are, provided with a number of'pivoted or hinged blades 4 4', preferably made of sheet metal, and arranged in pairs, as sho-wn in Figs. 2 and 3. In order to provide in a simple manner Afor pivoting the. blades, the opposite faces of the wheel 3 areprovided at regularly spaced intervals with ar plurality of perforatedlugs 3, preferably arranged in pairs, which align radially, and the blades are provided with pintlesor rods 4, which are journalled in the said lugs, as best seen in -F ig. l. The pintlestaare applied to the substantially straight edges 4b`of the blades, and thisleaves the opposite edges 4c` free, and the edges 4c are preferably slightly rolled or curved outwardly away from the faces of the wheel 3, as best shown at the right, in`Fig..2. 'Thev opposite ends ofthe blades are be'nt'atv right angles and support the pintles, and t-he portions adjacent the pintles are formed into angular shoulders 4d, which' when the blades are extended, as shown at the left inFigs. l and 2, bear against the opposite faces of the wheel and tend yto hold the blades extended substantially at right angles to the plane of the wheel, and therefor in the position to receive the full force of the current. When in operation, the wheel 3 rotates in the direction indicated by the oblique arrow in Fig. l, and as each pair of blades 44 reaches the top and passes the line of the vertical axis of the wheel, the blades'gravitate or swing downwardly towards the left and become fully extended. Then as the blades` successively come in contact with the current, the current drives the lower portion of the wheel towards the right. The force of the current acts upon each pair of blades positively from the time the edges 4" of tho blades are moved below the line of the horizontal axis of the wheel (see line a' in Fig. l), and the current continues to drive the blades until they again cross the line of the vertical axis yat. the bot-tom of the wheel. After the. latter point is passed the resistance of the blades decreases, and as the lower portion of the wheel vmoves upwardly, each pair of the blades in sequence gracht ally swings inwardly towards the wheel, where they remain in the fully folded posi tion until -the revolution of the wheel is completed. By disposing the blades 44 equidistantly 'as shown, the driving action of the current and the power generated thereby is continuous and regular. The transmission of the power is effected bythe following means: 5 represents a relatively largerbevel gear, which is rigid on one end ofthe. shaft 3', `and meshes with a bevel inion 5', which. is rigid on an upright shaft 5, the latter shaft being journalled in bearings 5b, and being held in place by a collar 5c, and a socket bearing 2.

In Figs. 4 and 5, the lmodific-ation consis-tsof a relatively thick wheel 6, the periphery 6 of which is V-s-hap'ed in crosssection for cutting the water. This wheel `is mounted on a shaft 6a. The opposite sides of the wheel 6 are provided with substantially flat wings or blades 7 7', which are disposed in angular recesses formed inI Y .i the opposite faces of the wheel, and these Amay be. arranged in annular rows l,similar to the `disposition of the blades in Figs. l, 2 and 3. The blades 7 are pivoted in the deeper `portions of the sockets 7a by .pintles 7", and `beyond the pintles the blades flare outwardly'at an angle, which is slightly obtuse for providing margins or shoulders 47c,the free ends of the latter project slightly` beyond the plane faces of the wheel '6. The` full lines -in Fig. 4 show the blades 'folded and disposed in the sockets 7*.1, which is the idle position. When the whelV is A'rotated in the upstream direction `the blades 7, like the blades 4, gravitate, or are 'forced 'outof'the vrecesses 7a and becomeextended isnbstantiallyat rightangles to the opposite faces "of the wheel, as shown by dotted lines in` Fig. 47 and bythe full lines 'in Fig. 5, and when the bladesareso extended, the free ends of the shoulders 7 meet in sockets or transverse openings l6b. By this` construction and arrangement,the blades may only be extended to the extent indicated in Fig. 4, and at such times theshoulders 7c tend to hold the blades of each pair in a common plane.. The folding of the blades 7 is accomplished in the same manner, as shown and described for the preferred structu're, as by the Apressure of the water against the shoulders 7, which takes effect shortly after the blades .pass the lineof the vertical `axis atthe bottom of the wheel, as described.

My improved water wheel is extremely simple in construction, arrangement 'and operation and can be produced and maintained at slight` expense. The yrelatively broad spread of the wings or blades 4' and v7, which are successively `moved into the path ofthe current., and the arrangement whereby several of the blades are being u acted upon bythe current at 'the same 'rncL ment, while the other blades are in 'the folded positions in `which they offer the 'least resistance to the rotation of the wheel, y"enables 'me to generate .a relatively high power with scarcely any loss, when :the .product and output of the wheel is considered `in connection with thevolume of Athe water and the rate of the flow of theicurfrent rlhe `entire 'absenceof springs, cams 'and similar attachments -for aiding. or controlling the blades while performing their `functions, tends to increase the output in po-wer units and renders my motor more simple, positive and reliable in its working', than any other device of the class known to me.

Having thus described my'ivnvention, 'what I'claim as new, is-`y y f i i l. A` water wheelconiprising a horizontal shaft, a disk rigidon said shaft and rotatable inua vertical plane, annular rows of gravitative blades having theirinnerand outer circumferential 'edges bent atNright .-angles, pintles carried vbythedisk andp'assing through the `bent-over edges to'pivotally mount the bladeson the opposite 'plane sur vfaces of the disk, said blades being arranged lin pair's'- and adapted to `be aut-ornaticallyl extended 'at right angles to said 'surfaces during one-half of each revolution fof-fthe disk, .saidx'bladesl also adapted V'to "become folded closely against said surface during the other half revolution of 'thefdisln and means formed on the bentover'jedges for limit-ing the movements of said blades on their pivots.

2. A water wheel comprising la rotatable disk formed on itsopposite faces 'with angular recesses,-and ablad'e pivoted in eac-h recess for lying therein `andhavihga .shoulder extension beyond 4its pivot toproject from the adjacent yside face of v thevfdisk when Jthe blade isfolded into its. recess.-

3. A waterwheel' comprisinga rotatable' disk formed on its opposite faces with recesses, said recesses 'communicating'through the disk with corresponding recesses on the opposite side or face thereof and therebyv brace against the corresponding portion of the oppostely disposed blade through the communicating opening when the blades are 10 in operative position. n

In testimony whereof I aHiX my signature.

EDWARD OSWALD. 

